IAEA in the News

Nuclear safety is a global issue – State secretary The secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Angela Braganca, said Thursday in Luanda that the issue of nuclear safety concerns all the countries of the world. The diplomat said so shortly after her arrival in Luanda from Fukushima, Japan, where she attended the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety held from December 15-17. Angola Press

Other Nuclear News

Russia hopes for nuclear talks with Iran next month Russia hopes the next round of six-power talks with Iran to resolve a protracted dispute over its atomic program will take place in January, RIA news agency reported on Thursday. Reuters

Early Japan reactor restarts unlikely despite LDP win Hopes within an anxious business community that Japan’s idle nuclear power stations would be rapidly restarted will almost certainly have to be placed on the backburner despite last weekend’s landslide election victory by a pro-nuclear party. Reuters

Fukushima plant operator to press LDP government for bailout Embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, will push for a further financial bailout from the new government taking power next week. Asahi Shimbun

NRA says fault lines under third nuclear plant most likely active A panel of scientists from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) stated on Thursday that the just discovered fault lines found under the Higashidori nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture are most likely active. Japan Daily Press / Washington Times / AP / Asahi Shimbun

Fuel rod problem in Japanese nuclear plant Japan’s nuclear regulator has confirmed an incident involving bent fuel rods at the world’s largest atomic plant in the country’s north-west. ABC Australia

Decommissioning preparation in progress at Fukushima I NPS A year has passed on December 16 since the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that the Fukushima I nuclear power station (NPS) had reached a “cold shutdown state.” The Denki Shimbun

Reactor closed after sea water infiltration Sweden shut down another reactor on Thursday, this time at the country’s biggest nuclear plant near Gothenburg after an infiltration of sea water, the operator Vattenfall and the national nuclear industry watchdog said. Local / AFP

Former PPG Manager Sentenced Over Export to Pakistan Nuclear Plant A former manager at a Shanghai-based subsidiary of U.S. chemical and paint company PPG Industries Inc. has been sentenced to a year in prison for illegally exporting specialty coatings to a nuclear reactor in Pakistan, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. WSJ

Opinion and Analysis

Indian Point Nuclear Threat Needs Senate Review, Engineers Contend Huffington Post

There goes the neighbourhood…and here comes nuclear Mail and Guardian

IAEA Recognises Malaysia’s Competency In Safeguarding Radioactive Material
The International Atomic energy agency (IAEA) has recognised Malaysia’s competency in ensuring the safe and secure application of nuclear and other radioactive material in the country.
Bernama

Other Nuclear News

Quake risk at Japan atomic recycling plant: experts
Canisters containing spent nuclear fuel are carried on trailers to the nuclear reprocessing plant at Rokkasho village in Aomori prefecture, 600km north of Tokyo, on December 19, 2000. Japan’s only reprocessing plant for spent nuclear fuel could sit on an active seismic fault vulnerable to a massive earthquake, experts warned Wednesday.
Phys.Org

Fukushima plant operator to press LDP government for bailout
Embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, will push for a further financial bailout from the new government taking power next week.
Asahi Shimbun

Ferrovial to build the world’s largest fusion energy research center
Ferrovial subsidiary Ferrovial Agroman, in consortium with Vinci and Razel-Bec, has been chosen by the Fusion for Energy, a European Union joint undertaking, to design and build fusion energy research facilities in the south of France.
Construction and Maintenance News

Opinion and Analysis

Business under Japan’s new government: Are nukes back? Economist

LDP, Komeito need to present realistic nuclear power policy
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Former generals and diplomats urge Obama to put sanctions on table in Iran talks Guardian

PRY: North Korea EMP attack could destroy U.S. – now Washington Times

Fukushima conference wraps up on positive note International nuclear experts want to learn lessons from the Fukushima disaster but there is still a long way to safety. Deutsche Welle

Iran defiant on enrichment ahead of possible nuclear talks Iran will not stop higher-grade uranium enrichment in response to external demands, its top nuclear energy official was quoted as saying on Tuesday, signaling a tough bargaining stance ahead of planned new talks with world powers. Reuters / Voice of Russia / PressTV

‘Iran-IAEA agreement would show political nature of West’s dispute with Iran’ The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that a possible agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would illustrate the political nature of certain world powers’ dispute with Iran over its nuclear program. Tehran Times

Iran’s Ahmadinejad says Western oil, banking sanctions will not stop Tehran’s nuclear push Iran’s president said Tuesday that Western sanctions could at the most cause a “quick tap on the brakes” in Tehran’s nuclear program but will not slow it down substantially, state TV reported. AP

Spokesman: Iran in Pursuit of All-inclusive Agreement with IAEA Iran announced on Tuesday it will remove all concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), if Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog work out an all-inclusive agreement which recognizes Iran’s nuclear rights for the development of the country and peaceful purposes. Fars

Other Nuclear News

Nuclear is Europe’s answer to meeting aggressive climate targets, says new report A new analysis from Frost & Sullivan European Nuclear Power Sector, finds that nuclear energy is the answer to meeting aggressive EU targets on carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuels. Nuclear Engineering International

Bulgaria’s Nuclear Plant Referendum to Cost BGN 14 M The holding of a referendum on the future of the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Bulgaria in January 2013 will cost BGN 13.8 M, according to the government report. Sofia News Agency

US slaps Japan company on LA nuke plant work Federal inspectors have identified new questions related to California’s troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant. AP

Opinion and Analysis

IAEA running out of excuses for not normalizing Iran N-case: Expert Press TV

Come January, Another Try on Nuclear Waste New York Times

Radioactive Decay Foreign Policy

Ministerial conference attendees toured Fukushima I NPS Twenty nine participants of the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, including delegates from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and various countries, toured the Fukushima I nuclear power station (NPS) on December 14. Denki Shimbun

Nuclear conference ends with calls for ceaseless efforts for safety A high-level international conference on nuclear safety wrapped up Monday with calls for continuous efforts to ensure facilities are fail safe and cooperation in assessing the impact of radiation leaks from a nuclear accident. Kyodo

Other Nuclear News

Japan nuke operator says obsession with minor safety steps delayed severe accident measures The operator of the disaster-struck Japanese nuclear power plant has acknowledged that the company long neglected safety measures intended to avoid and manage severe accidents while it was obsessed with fixing minor safety problems to improve operational records. AP

Nuclear back on agenda after Japanese election The future of Japan’s planned nuclear phaseout looks less certain following a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the first general election held since the country suspended most of its nuclear generation. World Nuclear News

Investigating ocean currents using uranium-236 from the 1960s Stephan Winkler, isotope researcher at the University of Vienna, has identified the bomb-pulse of uranium-236 in corals from the Caribbean Sea for the first time. 236U was distributed world-wide in the period of atmospheric nuclear testing in the 1960s. Readily dissolved in seawater it is an ideal tool for investigating ocean currents. Phys.Org

First unit of Kudankulam plant undergoing tests In the last lap of its first approach to criticality, the first unit (1000 MWe) of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu is undergoing a battery of tests by engineers of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). The Hindu

First new uranium in Australia in 5 years faces delay Australia suffered a further setback on Tuesday in efforts to become a greater supplier of uranium to the world’s nuclear power sector after the government postponed a decision on development of the country’s first new mine in half a decade. Reuters

Three Chinese Nuclear Reactor Projects Underway Construction of three new Chinese reactors has started since the country’s announcement in October that it would approve only a ‘small number’ of projects in each of the coming five years. World Nuclear News

Opinion and Analysis

Iran and International Atomic Energy Agency expect to sign deal in January AFP

The Economic Cost of a Nuclear Iran WSJ

Thorium gives hopes for alternative nuclear fuel The National

The Next Big Thing in Nuclear Power: Going Small AOL Energy

30 Under 30 – The Future Of Energy Is Nuclear Forbes

IAEA, Fukushima Prefecture sign agreement to cooperate on decontamination, radiation monitoring The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Fukushima Prefectural Government agreed Saturday to closely cooperate on decontamination and radiation monitoring in view of last year’s nuclear crisis. Kyodo

IAEA to set up base in Fukushima for nuclear accidents in Asia The International Atomic Energy Agency will establish a base in Fukushima Prefecture to provide training and stock radiation counters and protective equipment for possible nuclear disasters in Asia. Asahi Shimbun / Bloomberg

Ministerial int’l meeting on nuclear safety starts in Japan A ministerial international conference on nuclear safety kicked off on Saturday in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture, aiming at strengthening nuclear safety worldwide after a catastrophic nuclear disaster caused by tsunami in Fukushima. Xinhua

Higher nuclear safety will help avoid Fukushima-like disasters – Amano Boosting safety and security of nuclear power plants will help avoid disasters like the one involving the Fukushima nuclear plant, said Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, in a statement. Voice of Russia

Radiation no respecter of borders – Fukushima conference An independent, effective and expert regulator must be heard in case of a nuclear emergency, delegates at the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety heard on Monday. Business Day

Other Nuclear News

Iran says it, world powers must end nuclear stalemate Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday a way must be found to end the deadlock with major powers over its nuclear program, an Iranian news agency reported, but he offered no new initiative on how to achieve this. Reuters

Spain’s oldest nuclear plant shuts down Spain’s oldest nuclear plant Garona is shutting down on Sunday ahead of new taxes included in a government energy reform that would render the plant unviable. Reuters

British regulators OK nuke reactor design British regulators have approved the design of a new generation of nuclear power reactor as the French companies seeking to build it have delayed their plans. UPI

Nuclear material moved by train from Scotland to England The first of 90 rail shipments of nuclear material from Dounreay in Caithness to Sellafield in Cumbria was made overnight. BBC

Opinion and Analysis

Nuclear power in developing countries? Let’s talk about it Global Post

Mooted IAEA-Iran ‘deal’ just the beginning: analysts AFP

Exit poll: Anti-nuclear votes spread across the board Asahi Shimbun

U.N. agency expects deal soon on Iran nuclear probe Talks between the U.N. atomic agency and Iran are expected to lead to a deal next month on resuming an investigation into Tehran’s nuclear program, the chief U.N. inspector said after returning from Tehran on Friday. Reuters / AFP / AP / CNN

Iran hails progress in nuclear talks with IAEA Iran says progress has been made at key talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Tehran. BBC / Al Jazeera

IAEA Recommends Improvements to Bulgaria’s Nuclear Plant The International Atomic Energy Agency has recommended several improvements to Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant, Kozloduy. Sofia News Agency / AFP

Other Nuclear News

U.S. and Partners Agree on Revised Nuclear Offer for Iran The U.S. and its partners have hammered out a revised deal to offer Iran, aimed at persuading the Islamic Republic to curtail nuclear activities that might be used to produce an atomic bomb. Bloomberg

Japanese operator in most frank admission over nuclear disaster The operator of a Japanese nuclear power plant that blew up after a tsunami last year said on Friday its lack of safety and bad habits were behind the world’s worst nuclear accident in 25 years, its most forthright admission of culpability. Reuters

Foreign experts advise Japan on nuclear safety US and European experts on Friday offered advice to Japan’s nuclear regulator about enhancing nuclear safety in the wake of last year’s Fukushima accident. NHK

Why Japan’s ‘Fukushima 50′ remain unknown Entering the exclusion zone around the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is an unnerving experience. BBC

Tougher rules due for nuclear evacuations A panel of the Nuclear Regulation Authority reached broad agreement Thursday to set standards tougher than international guidelines for triggering an evacuation order in the event of a nuclear disaster. Kyodo

France appoints nuke plant closure chief The shuttering of France’s oldest nuclear plant and the assistance given to its workers will be overseen by a veteran transportation official, Paris says. UPI

Opinion and Analysis

After North Korea’s Missile Launch New York Times

North Korea’s rocket launch: Beaming The Economist

IAEA hopes for access to Iran’s Parchin site U.N. nuclear inspectors are ready to go to Iran’s disputed Parchin military complex if the Islamic state were to allow it during talks in Tehran later this week, a senior official said on Wednesday. Reuters / AP / AFP / Bloomberg

Iran insists on nuclear “right” ahead of IAEA talks Iran voiced readiness on Tuesday to address concerns of U.N. nuclear inspectors about its atomic activities in talks this week but said its “right” to refine uranium should be part of any agreement. Reuters / Bloomberg

Iran says ready for IAEA talks on issues of ‘concern’ Iran is ready to discuss issues of “concern” about its disputed nuclear programme with UN atomic watchdog experts during their planned visit to Tehran this week, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. AFP / Fars / Xinhuanet

Ministerial conference on nuclear safety to be held in Fukushima The Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, hosted jointly by the Japanese government and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will begin December 15 in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. Denki Shimbun

Nuclear Weapons Suddenly Easier with “Wonder Fuel’ The International Atomic Energy Agency has identified the radioactive material thorium as a fuel to power existing and new electrical generation plants, but a new study shows that along with this plentiful “wonder fuel” comes a dangerous weapons proliferation risk. WND

Other Nuclear News

N. Korea claims success in rocket launch North Korea announced Wednesday its long-range rocket launch was a success, saying what it claims is a scientific satellite has entered orbit. Yonhap / AP / Guardian / Reuters / New York Times

New zones set for town near N-plant The government on Monday started applying its new evacuation zoning to the town of Okuma, which hosts four of the six nuclear reactors at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant. Jiji Press / Nuclear Engineering International

Nuclear power most common topic in Twitter messages on election A check of messages on Twitter over the three weeks through Sunday found that nuclear power was the most commented-on topic among seven selected campaign issues. Kyodo

TEPCO unable to locate source of leak in Fukushima reactor The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is grappling to locate the source of a leak of highly radioactive water in the crippled No. 2 reactor, and will continue trying to pinpoint the cause next week. Asahi Shimbun

Monitoring stations planned near KKNPP site The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project plans to establish monitoring stations in a few villages around the project site for measuring radiation, if any, according to a senior official of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). The Hindu

The Cancer Bomb: How Nuclear Sludge Gave Birth to an Experimental Leukemia Drug In the early years of the Cold War, U.S. scientists tried to create synthetic uranium in a laboratory, spurred by fears that our country lacked enough natural deposits of the highly reactive material to keep up in the escalating nuclear race. New York Observer

Opinion and Analysis

N. Korea shouts ‘look at me’ with rocket CNN

U.N. nuclear inspectors to press Iran on military site access U.N. nuclear inspectors will press Iran this week for a long-sought green light to visit a key military site, although suspected clean-up work may make it difficult to find evidence of any illicit atomic bomb research there. Reuters / AFP

Iran urges IAEA to protect confidential info on Iran’s nuclear energy program Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to protect confidential information on Iran’s nuclear energy program. Press TV

Nuclear medical tests just got cheaper The cost of several expensive medical diagnostic tests will be cut by at least half when government nuclear scientists start the local production of the most commonly used medical radioactive isotope next year. Inquirer Business

Other Nuclear News

Japan Nuclear Plant Found Sitting on Quake Fault A panel of Japanese government-appointed experts concluded Monday that a nuclear reactor in the western part of the country is likely sitting on an active earthquake fault-a finding that may lead to it becoming the first reactor shut down for earthquake concerns. WSJ / AP / NHK / The Telegraph

Fukushima still divided over radiation hazard Under the hazy rays of an early winter sun, 2,400 running buffs from around the country gathered at a track in the Haramachi district of central Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Dec. 2. Asahi Shimbun

Japan utility head admits murky hiring, says workforce key to nuke plant cleanup The head of the utility behind Japan’s nuclear crisis acknowledged Monday that hundreds of workers at the contaminated Fukushima Dai-ichi plant were mobilized through a murky hiring system. AP

Japan, US held drill on nuclear disaster prevention Japan and the United States held Tuesday a joint drill on nuclear disaster prevention at the US Navy’s Yokosuka Base in Japan. Xinhua

Turkey to Decide Which Country Builds Second Nuclear Power Plant By the end of this year, Turkey will determine the country that will build the second nuclear power plant in Sinop, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz said, the Hurriyet newspaper reported. Turkish Weekly

Anti-KKNPP activists seek nationwide debate on energy policy Protesters opposing the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) on Monday demanded that the Union government organise a nationwide debate on the country’s energy policy, particularly on the ongoing as well as proposed nuclear power programmes. The Hindu

Opinion and Analysis

Israel suspected over Iran nuclear programme inquiry leaks Guardian

Iran’s nuclear programme: the holy grail of the intelligence world Guardian

Russia clings tightly to European energy The National

IAEA, Fukushima Prefecture to set up joint decontamination program The International Atomic Energy Agency said it will set up a joint program on decontamination next year with the Fukushima prefectural government as efforts continue at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Asahi Shimbun

IAEA Says Japan’s Nuke Facilities Safe After Latest Quake Japan’s nuclear power plants are safe following a 7.3 earthquake that hit the island nation this morning, International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday. Forbes / AFP

Other Nuclear News

Japanese Quake Stirs On-Air Alarm, but No Damage to Nuclear Plants Is Reported It was perhaps the surest sign that Japan remains unnerved by last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. After a large quake on Friday hit near the same area stricken last year, broadcasters on the public television network NHK threw aside their usual reserve to repeatedly issue worried warnings about tsunamis, with one host frantically urging people to “flee now to save your life!” New York Times

Georgia details nuke black market investigations On the gritty side of this casino resort town near the Turkish border, three men in a hotel suite gathered in secret to talk about a deal for radioactive material.
The Georgian seller offered cesium, a byproduct of nuclear reactors that terrorists can use to arm a dirty bomb with the power to kill. AP

Administration Finalizing HEU Reduction Plan For Hospitals Despite Concerns The Obama administration is moving forward with plans to modify the Medicare payment system for radiological isotopes used in diagnostic procedures despite concerns that the change would not do enough to end health care providers’ reliance on bomb-grade uranium. Global Security Newswire

Panel set up to monitor new nuclear watchdog The government set up a panel Friday to monitor whether the nation’s new nuclear administrative and regulatory bodies are following the recommendations made by the two committees set up by the state and the Diet that investigated the causes of the Fukushima catastrophe. Japan Times

Won’t bow to US on N-liability law: Khurshid India has strongly rejected mounting US pressure to tweak its nuclear liability law – including suggestions that the legislation be interpreted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and revisited by Parliament. Hindustan Times

All safety aspects of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will be taken care of: Narayanasamy Government on Sunday maintained that it will ensure all safety aspects of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project are fully taken care of before it is commissioned. Press Trust of India

Anti-nuke activists lay siege to Kudankulam plant With the commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project expected by the month-end, anti-nuclear activists stepped up their protests and laid a siege to the plant from the sea today. Press Trust of India

India inks pact with Ukraine on nuclear safety In a bid to enhance safety of its increasing number of nuclear plants, India today inked a pact with Ukraine on Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection to take advantage of its expertise in the crucial sector. Press Trust of India / NetIndian News Network

Nuclear industry plans rescue wagon for disasters If disaster strikes a nuclear power plant in the U.S., the utility industry wants the ability to fly in heavy-duty equipment that could avert a meltdown. AP

Dispute Over Records at Nuclear Plant A federal board Friday ordered the operator of a shuttered nuclear power plant in California to turn over dozens of pages of documents that were withheld when the company submitted a plan to restart one of its damaged twin reactors. AP

Opinion and Analysis

When Push Comes to Shove on Iran New York Times

Parties remain ambiguous on phasing out nuclear power Asahi Shimbun

Recent hacking of UN nuclear agency not first attempt – IAEA A recently announced hacking of the U.N. nuclear agency’s computer servers was not the first time an attempt had been made to break into the organization’s computer system, the head of the agency said on Thursday. Reuters

IAEA reports no progress on access to Iran nuclear facilities The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s chief says his agency has intensified talks with Iran, but that it had made little headway in determining whether Tehran seeks to build an atomic bomb. LA Times

U.N. nuclear chief: Alleged weapons testing site was probably sanitized by Iran The United Nations’ chief nuclear official urged Iran on Thursday to allow inspection of a military base where Iranian scientists are suspected of conducting secret nuclear-weapons research, although he acknowledged that any traces of illicit activity have probably been removed. Washington Post / AFP

Post-Fukushima nuclear safety plan needs more resources: IAEA head The International Atomic Energy Agency’s post-Fukushima Action Plan on Nuclear Safety will require additional funding and expertise if the plan is to achieve its objectives, the agency’s director-general, Yukiya Amano, said Thursday. Platts

IAEA Head Calls For Ratification Of Nuclear Security Amendment The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called on member states to ratify the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, calling it an “important area of unfinished business in nuclear security”. NucNet

Other Nuclear News

Strong quake hits off Japan near Fukushima disaster zone A strong quake centred off north-eastern Japan shook buildings as far away as Tokyo on Friday and triggered a one-metre tsunami in an area devastated by last year’s Fukushima disaster, but there were no reports of deaths or serious damage. Reuters / Asahi Shimbun

Japan could restart some nuclear reactors next summer: NRA The secretariat of the Nuclear Regulation Authority may start preliminary safety checks on offline reactors next spring, paving the way for some to be restarted by summer, sources said Thursday. Kyodo

Japan raps U.S. subcritical nuclear test The two mayors of the Japanese cities that suffered U.S. atomic bombing in World War II condemned the United States on Friday for conducting a subcritical nuclear test at a Nevada test site Wednesday. Xinhua

3 Charged With Plotting to Export Sensitive Materials to Iran and China Three people have been charged with conspiring to illegally export to Iran and China a superstrong material called carbon fiber that can be used to make machines that can enrich uranium, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Wednesday. New York Times

South Korea uncovers new fake documents at nuclear plants South Korean officials said on Wednesday they had uncovered new instances of fake certificates being supplied for parts operating in nuclear power plants, but a source indicated that the revelations would cause no further reactor shutdowns. Reuters / Yonhap

CEZ to make temporary shutdowns of all nuclear units in 2013 Energy company CEZ plans temporary shutdowns of all four units at its nuclear power plant Dukovany and of both two units at its nuclear power plant Temelin next year, CEZ said on its website Thursday. CTK

Support to nuclear energy grows further among Czechs Two thirds of Czechs are for further development of nuclear energy in the Czech Republic, 4 percentage points more than in May, according to the latest poll of agency STEM. CTK

France committed to problem-hit nuclear reactor: PM Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday that the French government remains committed to finishing a new-generation nuclear reactor despite further cost overruns. AFP

Electrabel says reactors safe to resume operations Belgian utility Electrabel, part of GDF-Suez , said cracks in the core tanks of two nuclear reactors in Belgium did not prevent them running safely and they should be allowed to restart operations. Reuters

Opinion and Analysis

French next-generation nuclear reactor may weather setbacks Reuters

IAEA wants tighter nuclear controls Strengthening international mechanisms regarding nuclear safety would provide another tier of protection from criminals, the IAEA chief said from Washington. UPI

IAEA to help Vietnam improve nuclear power Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Atomic Energy Agency, said development of nuclear power infrastructure is an important issue with many difficulties and challenges, especially for the countries that just starts the nuclear power program as Vietnam, due to lack of experience and highly qualified experts. Vietnam Net

Russia to help IAEA to search for nuclear weapons Russian nuclear experts are creating a unique tool which will help the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to detect undeclared development of nuclear weapon. It is a reference sample of an isotope of plutonium 244. Voice of Russia

Other Nuclear News

Iranian nuclear bomb would trigger arms race – Iran ex-official A nuclear-armed Iran would cause a regional arms race and make Tehran more isolated and vulnerable, according to a former Iranian negotiator who argues that the Islamic state is not seeking to build nuclear bombs. Reuters

Japan scientists assessing radiation risks took travel money from utilities Influential Japanese scientists who help set national radiation exposure limits have for years had trips paid for by the country’s nuclear plant operators to attend overseas meetings of the world’s top academic group on radiation safety. AP

Team creates fabric that can absorb 99% of radioactive cesium Japanese researchers said they have developed a fabric that can efficiently absorb radioactive cesium, a potential weapon in the battle to clean up areas contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The Asahi Shimbun

PM says France committed to problem-plagued nuclear reactor Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday that the French government remains committed to finishing a new-generation nuclear reactor despite further cost overruns. AFP

Opinion and Analysis

From Bushehr to the Bomb WSJ

Nuclear energy: Radical reactors Nature

Nuclear energy: Thorium fuel has risks Nature

Iran – North Korea: cooperation in nuclear missiles? Voice of Russia

Israel rejects UN call for nuclear transparency Israel has rebuffed a UN call to adhere to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open itself to international inspectors, calling the suggestion a “meaningless mechanical vote” of a body that “lost all its credibility regarding Israel.” Reuters / AP

Intl community urges N.Korea to stop rocket launch The international community is strongly urging North Korea to reconsider its planned rocket launch this month. NHK / UPI

Japan’s nuclear regulatory body decides to have 3 foreign advisers Japan’s nuclear regulation authority decided Wednesday during its regular meeting to appoint three prominent experts from the United States, Britain and France as external members to seek advice over its activities. Kyodo

Japan seeks new normal after 2011 earthquake Nearly two years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the technological challenges facing Japan are becoming clearer and more daunting. The country is embarking on what could be a revolution in energy production, even as it grapples with the end of its decades-long dominance in consumer electronics. Financial Times

Enel pulls out from French EPR nuclear project French power group EDF received a new blow on Tuesday when Italy’s biggest utility Enel announced its has pulled out from a project to build a next-generation nuclear reactor in northern France. Reuters / Bloomberg

Nuclear power: EDF extends life of two UK plants EDF Energy is extending the operational life of two of its UK nuclear power stations by seven years. BBC

South Korea uncovers new fake documents at nuclear plants South Korean officials said on Wednesday they had uncovered new instances of fake certificates being supplied for parts operating in nuclear power plants, but a source indicated that the revelations would cause no further reactor shutdowns. Reuters

Czech, Hungarian presidents for nuclear power plants’ expansion The Czech Republic and Hungary share the interest in extending their nuclear power plants, the two states’ presidents, Vaclav Klaus and Janos Ader, said Tuesday, adding that Prague and Budapest will decide on their nuclear energy policy independently within the EU and will defend it. CTK

Satellites Could Detect Nuclear Tests Even when they’re underground, nuclear tests can be detected in the skies – and as a result, global satellite networks could become a powerful new tool in the arsenal of weapons to help detect clandestine underground nuclear explosions, a team of scientists reported here today at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Science

Opinion and Analysis

Final Countdown Foreign Policy

On Our Radar: Flood Risks and Reactors New York Times

North Korea Plans Satellite Launch: Why Now? Time

Asian countries strengthen readiness to deal with nuclear emergencies Countries in Asia are working to strengthen their readiness to respond swiftly to nuclear emergencies. …The workshop is hosted by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA), in partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Channel News Asia

Other Nuclear News

Obama seeks renewal of nuclear arms control deal with Russia Hoping to salvage his arms control legacy, President Obama called Monday for the renewal of a major post-Cold War agreement between the United States and Russia to secure and dismantle nuclear weapons left over from the former Soviet Union. LA Times / New York Times

UN tells Israel to let in nuclear inspectors The UN general assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Israel to open its nuclear programme for inspection. AP / NHK / Press TV

U.S. Disassembled More Nukes Than Planned in Fiscal 2012 The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration on Monday said it had disassembled 12 percent more nuclear weapons than anticipated in fiscal 2012. Global Security Newswire

Tepco moves up nuclear salvage schedule for Fukushima fuel rods to 2014 Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the government said Monday they will attempt to remove all 1,533 fuel assemblies in the spent-fuel pool perched atop reactor 4 at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant by the end of 2014. Kyodo

Dental X-ray machine radiation danger alert Dentists have been warned against using a hand-held X-ray machine on patients as it poses a significant health risk. BBC / Mirror

Chinese firm in illegal nuclear exports to Pakistan A Chinese government-linked company has pleaded guilty to illegally exporting high-performance coatings from the US to a nuclear power plant in Pakistan. BBC / Bloomberg

Opinion and Analysis

The mother of all worst-case assumptions about Iran Foreign Policy

Road to zero-nuclear Japan a rocky one Mainichi Daily News

IAEA aims to start joint project in Fukushima early next year The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Saturday the U.N. nuclear watchdog aims to start a joint project with the Fukushima prefectural government early next year to address the March 2011 nuclear accident. Kyodo / NHK

IAEA chief: Fukushima cooperation will ‘enhance transparency’ International cooperation is needed to ensure that the best available technology is used in remediation efforts around Japan’s Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said. Nuclear24

Purported Iranian nuke graph off scientifically, but diplomats say IAEA still concerned A leaked diagram suggesting that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon is scientifically flawed, diplomats working with the U.N. nuclear agency conceded Friday. However they insisted that it still supports suspicions that Tehran is trying to build a bomb, especially when combined with other documents that remain secret. AP

Speaker Calls on IAEA, G5+1 to Abandon Double-Standard Policy on Iran Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani lashed out at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the world powers for their double-standard policies towards Iran’s nuclear issue, and asked them to give up their wrong policy if they want to resolve the standoff with Tehran. FARS

US asks India to consult IAEA on nuclear liability law Washington: To enter the international mainstream civil nuclear commerce, a top US official has said India should consult International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its nuclear liability law as a means to ensure the objective. Press Trust of India

Other Nuclear News

U.S. Raises Monitoring of Iranian Reactor The U.S. has significantly stepped up spying operations on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor over the past two months, American officials said, driven by heightened concerns about the security of weapons-grade plutonium after Tehran unexpectedly discharged fuel rods from the facility in October. WSJ

Iran will never halt uranium enrichment, Soltanieh says The Iranian ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran will never halt its uranium enrichment activities, which are being closely supervised by the IAEA, Press TV reports. Press TV

Iran Says Nuclear Fuel Removed Because of Debris Iran’s nuclear chief says fuel was removed from the country’s sole nuclear reactor in October because debris had been left behind during its construction. AP / Reuters

Clinton visits Czech Republic amid nuclear deal hopes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the Czech Republic Monday for a brief visit, hoping to win a tussle with Russia and help secure a $10 billion nuclear plant contract for US giant Westinghouse. AFP

First-stage rocket in position at N. Korea’s launch pad: source North Korea has installed the first stage of its three-stage, long-range rocket on its launch platform, a Seoul government source said Monday, pushing ahead with its plan to fire the rocket this month in defiance of international warnings. Yonhap / RT / New York Times / Reuters

Opinion and Analysis

New View from Inside Fukushima: Chaos and Uncertainty New York Times

Marine Life on a Warming Planet New York Times

International Campaign Aims to Combat Ocean Acidification Audubon Magazine